NEW DELHI: With the government sanctioning only 52,666 houses for the slum dwellers against the requirement of at least one crore houses under the in-situ scheme, the Centre's ambitious target to ensure "decent" dwelling units to all by 2022 seems to be on a slippery wicket.

Under the in-situ development sub-scheme of PM Awas Yojna (PMAY-Urban), slum dwellers will get houses at the same location to ensure their livelihood is not disturbed. Though private investment is the key to such projects, the private sector has not come forward till now.

The number of houses sanctioned for slum dwellers is just 2.2% of the total houses approved under PMAY, which includes interest subsidy initiative. The housing and urban affairs ministry recently submitted the details in Parliament.

The Centre has set the target of two crore houses for the houseless in the next five years. According to official estimate, urban areas faced nearly 1.9 crore housing shortage in 2012. Reports also suggest there were little over one crore slum households across the country. Without ensuring slum dwellers are shifted to pucca houses, housing for all won't be a reality.

The ministry said it has been urging states to do the needful and a meeting for a discussion will soon be convened.

"Of the total number of affordable houses approved for construction in urban areas of about 24 lakhs so far, over 20% were for the benefit of slum dwellers. These include in-situ slum redevelopment for the benefit of about 53,000 slum dwellers and another four lakh slum dwellers having been sanctioned houses under other components of PMAY (Urban) like beneficiary led construction and affordable housing in partnership," a ministry spokesperson said.

He added the issues concerning in-situ development are the attitude of slum dwellers themselves.

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